OK. On with the show!

~*~

Rae walked down the street between Qui-Gon and Padme. She was wearing the same outfit that she had worn on the trip to Coruscant and she had braided her hair into two French braids then twisted them into a low bun.

Mos Espa was everything that her SW memories said it was. Just a full of the low lives, scum and viliany as it ever was.

Qui-Gon began to tell Padme about Tatooine, Rae didn't really pay attention.

"Dis'n bery bad!"

'Only to those who let it be,' Rae thought.

"Oh! Icky, icky goo!"

Rae snickered.

Qui-Gon lead them to Watto's shop.

Watto asked them what they wanted and Qui-Gon told him.

Watto called Anakin, who came running in.

Rae grinned when she saw him.

Qui-Gon and Watto went out back. Rae sat down on the steps, Anakin still had not seen her, he was too busy watching Padme, Rae had to grin at that. She listened to him and Padme talk. Then she watched Jar Jar fight the pit droid.

"Hit the nose!" Anakin told him.

"Huh?"

"Hit the nose, Jar Jar!" Rae told him.

"Oh!"

Anakin finally noticed her. He looked at her for a few moments then him mouth dropped open.

"Anakin Skywalker, if you *dare* let your mouth drop open like that again I'll tell you mother!" Rae said mock seriously.

"Rae?! Is it really you?!"

"No," Rae started sarcastically. "it's a bantha. Of course it's me you numbscull!" Rae grinned.

Anakin tried to scowl at her, but failed miserably. He grinned back and started to get down from the counter, but Rae got up and told him, "No stay there, shorty. It'll be easier."

Anakin really did scowl this time.

"I'm just kidding Ani!" Rae said defencively.

Anakin's face imedeately changed to a huge grin. "So am I."

Rae's mouth dropped open. "Why you little..."

They both laughed. Rae climbed up on the counter next to him and gave him a hug. "It's good to see you again, Ani."

"You too Rae. Where's your mom?"

Padme, who had been watching the exchange with a quiet smile on her face noticed the pain that flashed across Rae's face.

"She died over a week ago."

"Oh." Anakin's face fell. "I am *so* sorry, Rae."

Rae gave him a sad half smile, looked down then looked back up, face composed. "So how is your mom?"

"Mom's good."

Just then Qui-Gon walked in. "We're leaving. Jar Jar!"

Rae hopped off the counter and she and Padme followed after him. They both turned around.

"I'm glad to have met you, Anakin."

"I'm glad I met you too!"

"It was good to see you again Ani! Give your mother my love and reguards!"

"You too! I will!"

~*~

Rae and Padmé sat side by side in the dark ally as Qui-Gon talked to Obi- Wan and Jar Jar watched the street suspiciously.

"And your sure there is nothing on board?"

"A few supplies. The Queen's wardrobe maybe, but not enough to barter with, not in the amounts your talking about."

"Alright, I'm sure another solution will present itself. I'll be in touch."

"I'm sorry, Qui-Gon. I should have remembered that no one out here in the outer rim uses Republic credits. My mom and I had so much trouble with that when we were first here." Rae looked up at him.

"It's alright. I should have known myself. I too have been here before."

He headed toward the street.

"No again! No again! The beings here abouts, cawayzy! Wesa be robbed and crunched!"

Rae snorted. "Highly unlikely, we don't have anything of worth."

"And that's our problem."

They headed down the street. Jar Jar stopped to "sample" some of the wares of a merchant. He promptly spat it out when he found out that it was 7 wuppie.

It landed in the food of a Dug, splatering it all over said Dug. Jar Jar tried to walk away but Sebulba tackled him and was about to pound him when Anakin came up and began to taunt the Dug.

Mean while Qui-Gon and the others had noticed that Jar Jar was missing.

Rae looked around then groaned. "Oh no!"

'I may not like him, but any harm done to that Gungan I want inflicted by me!'

She ran toward Jar Jar, Sebulba and Anakin. Sebulba was leaving as she reached them.

"Slimo," she muttered under her breath.

Anakin grinned at her. Then he looked up at Qui-Gon. "Hi."

"Hello."

"Your friend here was about to be turned into orange goo. He picked a fight with a Dug, a particularly dangerous Dug named Sebulba."

"Mesa hate crunchn' dats de last thing mesa wants!"

"Ani's right. You are crusin' for a bruisin'. This isn't Naboo."

Qui-Gon nodded then looked at Anakin. "Thank you my young friend."

"But-but, mesa doin' nothin'!" Jar Jar sputtered at them.

Rae snorted. "That's the problem."

This earned her a smirk from Anakin and a raised eyebrow from Padmé. Rae liked Padmé, she was very nice, but she had grown up in a good neighborhood and had never really lived in the rough sides of town so she couldn't really get what Rae had said.

~*~

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